Seib & Wessel: What We’re Reading Wednesday

What appeared to be signs of growing mental instability didn’t stop suspected Washington Navy Yard shooter Aaron Alexis from keeping the security clearance that allowed him access to the military facility, prompting calls for a review of how such security checks are conducted. [WSJ]

Iran’s government has reimposed firewalls that block access to social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter; the government says the firewalls came down temporarily because of technical glitches, but others suspect an internal debate about the censorship is underway. [Associated Press]

The U.S. agreement with Russia to disarm Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal is in fact good news for Israel’s Iranian strategy, writes Avi Shilon (@shilonavi). Israel is not interested in striking Iran either, and would gladly opt for a nuclear disarmament agreement, an option that has now been made more internationally palatable, he writes. [Haaretz]

The notion that Janet Yellen is some sort of easy money “dove” and that Larry Summers would have been a tight-fisted “hawk” has no basis in reality, says Cyrus Sanati (@BeyondBlunt). [Fortune]

Darrell West (@darrwest) writes that mobile technology can “dramatically” improve learning, and that the pervasiveness of smartphones means they can, when properly utilized, help produce the broad reforms and improvements needed in the American education system. [Brookings]

Peter Beinart (@PeterBeinart) argues that the victory of liberal Bill de Blasio in New York’s Democratic mayoral primary may have been lucky, but more likely was a sign of the rise of the left in American politics, a rise that ought to worry Hillary Clinton and that might presage an Elizabeth Warren presidential run. [Daily Beast]

The GOP’s brand is showing no sign of recovering from the party’s 2012 thumping. Second-term fatigue plagues Democrats. Charlie Cook says the two forces could cancel each other out in 2014 with little change in the House and Republicans picking up three to five Senate seats, but not the six needed for a majority. [National Journal]

NSA security officers have limited the options employees have for storing data on their own, including on thumb drives, post-Snowden, but the danger now is that there will be less of the information-sharing that became so important after 9/11, two government officials said in an interview with NPR. [NPR]

Sign of the Times

Minor milestones we’ve spotted:

The labor force grew at an average rate of 1.6% a year between 1970 and 2010. CBO projects 0.4% a year between 2023 and 2038, as baby boomers retire and growth of women in work force tapers off. [CBO]

Nine of 10 seniors say they’re satisfied with their drug coverage a decade after the launch of the Medicare prescription drug benefit, according to a KRC survey conducted by a health-care trade association. [HLC]

Wal-Mart, putting solar panels on store rooftops, generates 4% of the electricity it uses and plans to increase that to 20% by 2020. [WSJ]

A metal sign from the London headquarters of Lehman Bros. sold at auction for $14,915, 22% of what it went for three years ago. [Bloomberg]

Umpires get 8% of ball-or-strike calls wrong, according to scouting service Inside Edge. [WSJ]

Inflation is higher in services than things: The price of medical commodities (drugs and supplies) hasn’t changed in the year ended in August, but the cost of medical services is up 3.1%. The cost of car parts is down 2.1% but prices at the mechanic are up 1.9%. And wine prices are up 1.8%, but restaurants are charging 2.5% more. [WSJ]

Half of the world’s self-made female billionaires are from China, found a global ranking report of female executives. [Quartz]

Three-quarters of employers surveyed agreed that “being well-rounded with a range of abilities” is more important for graduates than having industry expertise. [Chronicle of Higher Education]

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Washington Wire is one of the oldest standing features in American journalism. Since the Wire launched on Sept. 20, 1940, the Journal has offered readers an informal look at the capital. Now online, the Wire provides a succession of glimpses at what’s happening behind hot stories and warnings of what to watch for in the days ahead. The Wire is led by Reid J. Epstein, with contributions from the rest of the bureau. Washington Wire now also includes Think Tank, our home for outside analysis from policy and political thinkers.